NAME

Tk::FastSplash - create a fast starting splash screen

SYNOPSIS

    BEGIN {
        require Tk::FastSplash;
        $splash = Tk::FastSplash->Show($image, $width, $height, $title,
                                   $overrideredirect);
    }
    ...
    use Tk;
    ...
    $splash->Destroy if $splash;
    MainLoop;

DESCRIPTION

This module creates a splash screen for perl/Tk programs. It uses lowlevel perk/Tk stuff, so upward compatibility is not given (the module should work at least for Tk800.015, .022 and .024). The splash screen is created with the Show function. Supplied arguments are: filename of the displayed image, width and height of the image and the string for the title bar. $width and $height may be left undefined. If $overrideredirect is set to a true value, then the splash screen will come without window manager decoration. If something goes wrong, then Show will silently ignore all errors and continue without a splash screen. The splash screen can be destroyed with the Destroy method, best short before calling MainLoop.

If you want to run this module on a Tk402.xxx system, then you have to set the variable $Tk::FastSplash::TK_VERSION to a value less than 800.

CAVEAT

This module does forbidden things e.g. bootstrapping the Tk shared object or poking in the Perl/Tk internals. Because of this, this module can stop working in a new Perl/Tk release. If you are concerned about compatibility, then you should use Tk::Splash instead. If your primary concern is speed, then Tk::FastSplash is for you (and the primary reason I wrote this module). The splash window of Tk::FastSplash should pop up 1 or 2 seconds faster than using Tk::Splash or a vanilla Tk::Toplevel window.

BUGS

Probably many.

You cannot call Tk::FastSplash twice in one application.

The $^W variable should be turned off until the "use Tk" call.

If FastSplash is executed in a BEGIN block (which is recommended for full speed), then strange things will happen when using perl -c or trying to compile a script: the splash screen will always pop up while doing those things. Therefore it is recommended to disable the splash screen in check or debug mode:

    BEGIN {
        if (!$^C && !$^P) {
            require Tk::FastSplash;
            $splash = Tk::FastSplash->Show($image, $width, $height, $title,
                                           $overrideredirect);
        }
    }

The -display switch is not honoured (but setting the environment variable DISPLAY will work).

AUTHOR

Slaven Rezic (slaven@rezic.de)

SEE ALSO

Tk::Splash, Tk::ProgressSplash, Tk::Splashscreen, Tk::mySplashScreen.